Russia’s Ratnik-3 ‘soldier of the future’ combat outfit will get a new high-precision sniper round, Chief Executive of the R&D Institute of Precision Machine-Building (TsNIITochMash, the developer of the combat outfit) Dmitry Semizorov said at the ArmHiTec exhibition.

"This is a new round. We need to create a new ballistic solution fully based on Russian components. This will be a round for high-precision sniper rifles," he said.

The R&D on the third-generation Ratnik outfit has been completed. The experimental design work on the new round has been agreed and is due to start this year, Semizorov said.

The Russian troops are currently using the second-generation Ratnik outfit. As Semizorov earlier told TASS, the new Ratnik-3 systems will be introduced gradually, including their integration into the existing combat gear.

TsNIITochMash plans to complete all the experimental design of Ratnik-3 by 2027, the chief executive said. As for infrared camouflage that can hide a soldier from a helicopter on the battlefield, Semizorov said the issue had been considered. "The proposals have been included into the concept of combat outfit. The work is ongoing and we are obtaining technical experience," he said.

The Ratnik is a system of advanced protective and communication equipment, weapons and ammunition. It comprises around 40 protective and life support elements and allows a soldier to get continuously updated information about the situation in the combat area. In addition, the Ratnik includes a self-contained heater, a backpack, an individual water filter, a gas mask and a medical kit.

The second-generation Ratnik combat gear has been arriving for Russia’s ground forces, the Airborne Force and marines since 2016.

An advanced Ratnik-3 combat gear with an integral exoskeleton and a helmet visor-mounted target designation system is currently being developed for the Russian armed forces.